Mark S. Sparschu

Meet the Quinn IP Law Attorneys

Mark S. Sparschu

Mark is a Principal Attorney at Quinn IP Law, where he brings his breadth and depth of intellectual property experience to bear in helping his clients use IP as a valuable asset in their businesses. His in-house legal experience includes work at both domestic and foreign companies, for both suppliers and customers, and across all intellectual property subject matter. He understands the expectations placed on in-house legal departments and is uniquely positioned to help them meet and exceed those expectations.

Mark was most recently Vice President and Chief IP Counsel for Lear Corporation, a multinational automotive electrical, electronics, and seating supplier, where Mark and his team were responsible for all of Lear’s global intellectual property matters. He has also served as Chief Patent and Trademark Counsel at Volvo Car Corporation, practicing at Volvo’s headquarters in Gothenburg, Sweden. Additionally, Mark was Chief Trademark Counsel for Ford Motor Company, where Mark and his team were responsible for all of Ford’s trademark legal matters and considerable trademark portfolio on a global basis. Mark was also a Patent Counsel at Ford, where he provided a full range of patent legal services, including preparation and prosecution of patent applications; noninfringement, invalidity, and freedom-to-practice investigations and opinions; agreements; enforcement; and litigation support.  Mark also has previous outside counsel experience as a shareholder and practice group leader at a Detroit-area intellectual property firm. Prior to practicing law, Mark had a successful tenure as a Senior Electrical Engineer at General Motors Corporation, where he had design release responsibility for body and chassis electronics and advanced engineering responsibility in areas as diverse as automotive navigation, cellular communications, antennas, and anti-lock brakes.

Mark has substantial experience in patent, trademark, brand protection, copyright, IP due diligence, and IP transactional matters.  He has successfully managed the IP aspects of a multitude of license, merger/acquisition, joint development, joint venture, and nondisclosure agreements.  He has cleared, registered, and managed portfolios containing hundreds of trademarks, domestic and foreign.  Additionally, he has experience in the preparation and prosecution of domestic and foreign patent applications; patent portfolio management; and invalidity, non-infringement, and freedom to operate opinions.

(248) 380 – 9300  | [email protected]

Download Marks’ biography

Practice Areas

  • IP Transactions
  • IP Licensing
  • IP Due Diligence
  • Trademark Clearance and Registration
  • Trademark Consulting and Portfolio Management
  • Brand Protection and Anti-Counterfeiting
  • Patent Noninfringement, Invalidity, and Freedom-to-Operate Investigations
  • Patent Prosecution
  • Patent Portfolio Management
  • Copyrights
  • TECHNICAL AREAS
    • Electrical, Electronic, Electromechanical, and Mechanical arts

Education & Awards

  • J.D., Wayne State University Law School
    • With honors
  • M.S.E.E., University of Michigan
  • B.S.E. Kettering University
    • With highest honors
  • ...
  • “Top Corporate Counsel in Michigan”, DBusiness Magazine, 2021
  • ...
  • PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS
  • Panelist, “IP Auto USA,” a program presented by Intellectual Asset Management magazine, Detroit, Michigan, May 2018
  • “PTAB/IPR Strategies 2017,” presentation at the spring seminar of the State Bar of Michigan, IP Law Section, March 2017
  • “Trademark Enforcement Strategies to Protect Brands in an Ever-Challenging Environment,” presentation at the spring seminar of the State Bar of Michigan, IP Law Section, March 2013

Admissions & Memberships

  • U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
  • State Bar of Michigan
  • United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
  • Licensed Professional Engineer, Michigan

Community Service